Sure, the iPad Is Cool. But Have You Played With Dell’s “Streak”?

Has Apple’s iPad (AAPL) won the tablet wars before they even started? Maybe. But before you leap to that conclusion, best to see what everyone else has to offer, too.

I’ve heard anecdotal reports from media types who are lukewarm about the forthcoming HP (HPQ) tablet. But here’s a rave mini-review for Dell’s (DELL) Streak from Greg Clayman, who runs digital for Viacom’s (VIA) MTV Networks:

All the important caveats: Clayman’s thumbs-up isn’t an official Viacom endorsement. And even if everyone at Viacom loves the thing, it doesn’t mean the cable programmer is going to let you watch lots of its shows for free on the thing. In fact, it probably won’t. And past performance does not guarantee future results, and objects in mirror are closer than they appear, etc., etc.

Just as the atom bomb was the weapon that was supposed to render war obsolete, the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering it impossible for anyone to ever make a profit off anything again. It’s especially hopeless for those whose work is easily digitized and accessed free of charge.

— Author Tim Kreider on not getting paid for one’s work

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